Charity "gutted" at concert cancellation (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Charity "gutted" at Carew Manor Music in the Park cancellation

9:40am Thursday 31st January 2013 in Freetime By Mike Pyle

A popular annual fund-raising concert and firework spectacular has been cancelled after falling victim to the ailing economy and last year's weather.

Music in the Park, a Last Night of the Proms-style concert at Carew Manor put on by the Rotary Club of Carshalton Beeches which has been running for more than 21 years, has been cancelled after it failed to break even in 2012's rainy summer.

The event - one of the biggest events in Sutton's cultural calendar - has raised more than £300,000 for charities in its history and in its heydey, thousands of people would attend each summer.

Among the groups to benefit were Jigsaw4u, The Wave Trust, Sutton Young Carers, Scout and Boys Brigade groups and the Diamond Centre.

Club president Martin Midgley said: "Numbers have fallen over the last few years then last year there was the weather, which was absolutely awful and a lot of our sales come in the last few weeks when people are looking at the weather, then there was the recession and then there was the jubilee and all these things came to pass and our numbers were down by about 1,000.

"Over the years we've built up reserves but we had to use more than half last year and with what we've got in the bank we can't take the risk.

"It was a lovely event. We're very sad to lose it and it was a hard decision to make."

Pam Byfield, director of operations at childhood bereavement and trauma charity Jigsaw4u, said: "We're absolutely gutted because it's something they've really developed over the years. Many people went to the event and it had a real community feel to it.

"For an organisation like ours we're grateful for any contribution and the fact that they chose us as a worth recipient validated our work locally. We were able to use the money flexibly so it's a blow to us."

Other charities expressed their sadness at the annoncement.

Mr Midgely said the club may hold future Music in the Park concerts but it may need sponsors to come forward.

In the meantime there will be a charity golf day on Wednesday, June 16, costing £180 to enter a team of up to four players.

To enter or for more information contact Jim Wagstaff on 020 8642 3762 or jimwagstaff@yahoo.co.uk.